Steel Shadow: Winter and Captivity
by AralineDelia
Summary: Tony Stark isn't who people think he is. This is the story of his beginning, and how a small change in one tangle of thread can unravel the entire fabric of fate. The problem is that very few people know the full truth about what happened to him. What if he didn't know either? And who was he if he wasn't the Tony Stark we all know and love? (Will hopefully continue through the MCU)
1. A New Birth

Chapter 1: A New Birth 

**Hey everybody! Welcome to the newest addition to the ever-growing list of Avengers AUs! This is Amaryllis speaking. I hope that everyone that reads this can enjoy and please, please review. This is my first story and I would love to look over your feedback. Also, writing is hard, so any encouragement is welcome. Cookies to those that do a review. (::) That's your down payment. More to come!**

November 20th, 1963

STARK SAFE HOUSE: OUTSIDE WASHINGTON DC

Maria Stark was very, very relieved. She'd managed to convince her husband, the rather infamous Howard Stark, to keep her six-month-old child a secret from the world for at least the next six months of his life. After all, it was standard to wait until the child's soulmark had appeared. The name in their handwriting would eventually be the most important person in their life.

She slipped into her son's small nursery. Her tiny baby, her darling Anthony, no, Tony, grinned a bright smile up at her. He'd already finished teething and was starting to babble more recognizable sentences. He began crying as thunder sounded outside, the flash of light not bothering him in the well-lit room. She picked him up and started humming a classic Italian lullaby, hoping that it, coupled with the now peaceful rain, would calm him down. Tony went to sleep quickly, a small amount of drool dribbling down his little chin. Maria put him down and kissed his head, brushing his hair aside slightly. She yawned and headed off to bed, knowing that raising a child was hard work.

The little boy shifted in his sleep as words started glowing over his tiny collarbone. The name James Buchanan Barnes settled on his skin in neat but scratchy handwriting. He slept on undisturbed, unaware of the name that would bring him so much sorrow in the years to come.

HYDRA BASE: UPSTATE NEW YORK

Ice crackled as the case containing the frozen Asset was defrosted. The man's chin-length brown hair hung limply around his face as it twisted in pain. Coming out of cryogenic freeze wasn't the most comfortable process, after all. The Asset's handler, a brute of a man named Hector Agalio, watched the process with trepidation. Clutched in his right hand was a little black book, full of Russian words. Trigger words. The technician attending to the Asset's arm stalled for a few seconds, confusion swimming in his eyes.

"What's the matter? Is something damaged?" Hector's voice was silky smooth, laced with subtle hints to hurry the process. The technician visibly gulped and answered,

"The Asset is no longer without a soulmate. A very young one, by the looks of it. One by the name of Anthony Stark." Hector raised his eyebrows. They had chosen the asset partially because his allegiance would never be taken by another. This was a major development that would need to be addressed by the High Council.

"Keep him under sedation until you can wipe him again. Do not let him register that there is someone more important than HYDRA outside these walls." With that, Hector spun on his heel and walked out of the room as fast as he could without seeming worried. Pressing a pager in his pocket, the HYDRA operative slipped into a room lined with screens. One by one they lit up, voices filtering into the cold air.

"Why have you called us here?" The screen on the far left called, lighting up in sync with his words.

"Has something gone wrong with the Asset?" A lighter screen second from the right demanded, the tone undeterminable. It could have been a male, female, or a computer for all Hector knew.

"The Asset's soulmate has been identified. Very recently, as the scanners had not picked up any kind of activity within his pod. He is currently being kept under heavy sedation until he can be properly wiped." Hector paused, trying to figure out how to word his next announcement. HYDRA wouldn't take very well to this new development. "It appears that his bonded is the newborn Stark son."

The room practically exploded with groans. All nine, almost simultaneously, let out a varied curse. They knew how stubborn a Stark could be. But what if…

"Take him now. Before they can see the mark and try to hide him from everyone." The computerized voice from the center screen projected over all of the squabbling others. One by one, they gave their assent.

The screen directly to the left of the middle ordered, "Find that safe house and steal the boy before he has time to know anything but HYDRA. Dispatch your best men now." Hector nodded and left the room, making sure to hit the light switch on the way out. The men were dispatched before the clock had struck the next hour, debriefed on how best to weave their way through Stark's security system.

STARK SAFE HOUSE: OUTSIDE WASHINGTON D.C.

With a couple of very close calls and one heart-stopping alarm (that was thankfully shut down very fast), the men were filing into the house. The serene walls were painted a beautiful mix of cerulean and white like clouds on a summer day, caused the soldiers to pause. They could see them. The lights were on, and that meant that someone was awake.

They all shifted into the available shadows as a silhouette crossed in front of a lamp down the hall. With a click, the house was plunged into darkness. The men simply waited for the telltale rustle of sheets and switched on their night vision goggles. The squad snuck down the hall, their footsteps making no sound on the hardwood. Their leader was in and out of the nursery in less than a minute, and before any other alarms could go off, the HYDRA agents were in the wind.

Maria awoke barely five minutes later, the gentle drizzle not calming her nerves as she instinctively knew that something was wrong. A mother's intuition was rarely wrong. She got out of bed and headed towards the nursery, panic seeping into her veins. When Maria opened the door, she let out a shriek.

The crib was empty, blankets tucked in as if her darling baby boy had never been there at all. He was gone. Vanished into thin air.

Maria was a smart woman. She knew that her baby couldn't have just disappeared like that. As Howard appeared at her side, she reached over and tugged him into her arms, sobbing into his shoulder. He looked to the bed, despair filling his soul as he saw the sheets clearly left in a deliberate manner. Who would do this? Who would take an innocent baby boy?

As soon as he stiffened with realization, Maria looked up into his cold face. She collapsed onto her knees, crying as she knew that she'd lost both men in her life in one night. He carried her into bed and lay down next to her, holding her close as they both grieved for the son they believed to be dead. When he was older, that might have been what he had wished for that night, instead of what really happened to him.

HYDRA BASE: UPSTATE NEW YORK

Hector looked down at the sleeping baby with a critical eye. He seemed to be looking into his soul, what was the intensity of his gaze. The soldier holding him would've been very uncomfortable if the nervousness hadn't been stomped out of him during HYDRA training. When Hector finally did look up, he waved over one of the technicians.

"Take this child to Neurolab 3 and perform a brain scan. He's six months old but I've seen footage of him doing things that kids you usually be doing at about two years of age. And he's already done teething. Run some usual diagnostics in Lab 2 when you're done with the brain scan. Send the results to me as soon as you get them. Go." Hector walked away, back to the room that contained the sedated Asset.

The man was still out cold, the result of enough tranqs to take down a hippopotamus. The only change since Hector had seen him come out of cryofreeze was the name scrawled in a fine, looping script along the inside of his forearm. Anthony Edward Stark. So it was true. Hector didn't want any part of the kiddie operation so he motioned for the tranqs to be cut off.

The man moved slightly as the flow reduced and stopped, coming back to awareness just as a rubber mouth guard was fitted in between his teeth. For a split second, he tried to get out of the chair, but it was already too late. The metal arms of the machine closed in around his face and body, letting electricity run across the conduits. Hector took the book out of his pocket and started reading.

"Longing, rusted, furnace, daybreak, seventeen, benign, nine, homecoming, one, freight car. Soldat?" A blank look slid over the Soldier's face at the Russian words.

"Ready to comply." Hector gave a tight-lipped smile at the dead voice and tucked the back book away in his pocket. The process was identical to the only other time he'd seen the Soldier activate. So he was still under HYDRA's control. Good.

"Soldat. Your mission is to eliminate President John F. Kennedy. Mission to be completed within 72 hours. Remain unseen and disappear afterward. Return to this base as soon as possible after completion. You have your orders. Go." The Winter Soldier stood and walked off towards the ammunition center. Hector relaxed ever so slightly after he left. No matter how emotionless he might look, that deadened face and hollow tone gave even him chills. He turned towards the door just as a younger man in a white coat entered, carrying a folder in his slightly shaking hands.

The operative saluted Hector as he handed him the folder containing the results to the tests the scientists had done on the baby. Hector was surprised. The brain waves looked much more like someone in their late teens, not anything like the low murmur of a developing baby. The child's other tests had shown enhanced senses and muscle density. He was more connected to the Soldat than it was previously thought. Hector inwardly grinned as he realized that this baby was just what he was looking for in the test subject for the newest project onsite.

He might just have found a child that was just what he needed to mold into the Steel Shadow.

Fin.

**Heya! What did you think? Don't forget to review, follow, or favorite if you like this story. I'm warning you now, I have school and I'll try to update at least once every two weeks but please don't count on it. I make no promises.  
Signing off,  
Amaryllis**


	2. A New Beginning

Chapter 2: A New Beginning

**Hey everybody! How are you doing? I want to thank those who have followed and that (I think it's this number now anyways) one person that favorited. You guys are the reason I have any motivation to write. Please enjoy this chapter, and as always, follow, favorite and review!**

**Disclaimer: I only own my OC's and my ideas. Marvel owns everything else.**

December 16th, 1966  
HYDRA BASE: SIBERIA

The Leader of the S.S. Project stood beside a pod with Hector Agalio, the current handler of the Asset being kept in this facility. The pod contained the body of what appeared to be a ten-year-old boy. Over the three years that he had been kept within the confines of HYDRA, the child had aged rapidly due to an experimental serum and exposure to small amounts of vita-radiation. In reality, his body was at the twelve-year mark, but he was so small and lean that he appeared years younger. Stark was perfect for the project.

The Leader of the project (who preferred to be called Phobos) was flipping through a file containing information concerning the boy within the tube. Even while unconscious, he still had brain readings working at the level of a graduate student. Perfect for whatever this project needed him for. Phobos turned to one of the scientists by the pod's vitals and made a swift motion with one hand. They nodded in return and started the process of bringing Stark out of the state he'd been in for the vast majority of his life.

The temperature gages slowly began to rise back to a normal reading for a human body. It was a rather delicate process that would take at least half an hour, so Phobos turned on his heel and left the room, heading towards the section of the base that was going to be used as a training ground. No matter how obedient the workers of the base seemed, he still had some trust issues. Phobos always made sure to inspect everything thoroughly before using any of it on any of his test subjects.

"How are you planning to go about training the boy?" The voice, low and unemotional, made Phobos spin around. Hector Agalio came through the door, not having bothered announcing his presence. "At his age, the better idea would be to take a page out of the Red Room's book. At the very least, wait to wipe him until you've taught him everything he needs to know out in the field," Hector commented, keeping his voice infuriatingly neutral.

"I'll train him whichever way I like and whichever way works, Agalio. That should be of no concern to you. Unlike your precious Asset, this has to be handled with a certain level of delicacy. He's going to wake up soon, you know. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you have to be there when he wakes up in approximately three minutes. Tick tock, Hector. I don't have time to spend on tiny trifles that have nothing to do with me, unlike you." Phobos snarled, the other man's face turning a single shade brighter at the words. Hector gave a vicious glare in his direction before stalking away down the hall. Phobos gave a relieved sigh before doing the same in the opposite direction. Stark would be waking up soon enough.

When he reached his destination, Phobos was greeted with a flurry of activity. It seemed that the boy had awoken much faster than anyone had anticipated. He was currently restrained in a metal chair, built with traces of vibranium. However strong he may be, this was designed to keep anyone in the seat complacent. Meaning any time the occupant showed any sign of aggression, they would be shocked. The boy was currently heaving for breath, his chocolate eyes bright and filled with uncertainty. Just what Phobos needed to manipulate him.

Stalking forward, he barked an order at the unneeded technicians to leave. They filed out as quickly as they could, knowing that Phobos' temper could explode as easily as it calmed. Soon it was just the boy and his new commander. How he was going to enjoy this.

"What do you want from me?" The child's voice shook slightly as he tried to be assertive. Not exactly an easy task when he was restrained and the other man could barely be seen or heard. However, Phobos had to give a small degree of acknowledgment to the fact that Stark had tried this even when he had no memories.

"Just complete compliance. We have no intention of hurting you." Phobos said softly, keeping his tone cultured and calm. Stark relaxed ever so slightly, practically invisible to anyone that wasn't as close as Phobos was.

"Where am I? And what are you going for? If you don't want to hurt me, what is your purpose of keeping me like this?" Stark nodded at the restraints, which still hummed with electricity. They shocked him again, causing him to stiffen and glare down at the offending shackles.

"Where you will never be found. This place is going to be your home until you complete your training. You will be set free once you finish." Phobos soothed, the words settling over the young Stark and making him sit up a little straighter. The promise of freedom was too great to resist, apparently.

"So who am I?"

"You will be known as Shadow."

"You didn't say that it was my name."

"Does it matter?" Phobos hissed, losing a part of his calm demeanor. Stark stood his ground admirably well, even as he shook his head. He could already tell that this recruit was going to be a handful. The restraints popped off and Stark got to his feet, a bit unsteady but still standing. Phobos turned and waved a hand at him to follow as he took off down the hall.

Shadow matched his brisk pace he turned corners and slipped through doors on silent feet. When they entered a large open space, Phobos turned and gestured to a door on the far side of the hall.

"These are your assigned living rooms. You will sleep here and be ready for training at," He glanced at the clock on the wall, "O-Six-Hundred. Be dressed in the garments provided in said room. You are not to be late under any circumstances. Is that understood?" Shadow, true to his name, did nothing but nod in agreement. Phobos spun to look at him, an eyebrow creeping up his forehead. "When you answer me, I expect to be called sir, Shadow. I also expect you to answer me in words rather than bodily movements. Is that clear?!"

"Yes, sir." Shadow's reply was rather bland, the boy still not having a good grip on what was going on. Which was quite alright with Phobos' superiors. They'd get around to brainwashing him later. For now, he needed training, and lots of it. But from what Phobos could already see, he was ready for all of it.

December 17, 1966 - 0600  
HYDRA BASE: SIBERIA

Shadow stood just outside his door as a klaxon sounded, marking the beginning of another day in the base. Phobos strode through the door with impeccable timing, followed by a small group of people in crisp white lab coats. They were carrying small bags along with a portable table. The large space had transformed too. The walls were lined with different kinds of weaponry and ammunition, ranging from sniper rifles to throwing knives and anything else you could imagine. There was even a portable flamethrower.

Phobos directed the scientists to one side of the room and stood in front of Shadow, enticed by the way his eyes flickered around the training area. He was clearly familiar with all of it, due to the lack of surprise in his expression as to the sudden switch in the hall. One of the scientists called over a predetermined greeting, meaning that they were ready to proceed. Phobos turned and gestured for Shadow to follow. The former Stark followed without question, the training implemented in his brain finally beginning to kick in.

"Who are these people? And what are they doing?" Or maybe not.

"They will be testing your abilities to see what you are capable of doing. Comply or face the consequences. You should already know the rules." Phobos said, his face blank. Inside he was seething. The scientists in charge of Shadow's development had told him that the boy should be as well conditioned as a regular HYDRA soldier. So what had they gotten wrong?

"Shadow. Step up onto this platform and hold the bars in front of you in a loose grip. Then tighten them as much as you can and don't let go until we tell you to." The head scientist spoke up. He was a tall, thin man with a rather unpleasant demeanor that made everyone in the room dislike him immediately. The man's name was Dr. Vuphun, and he was the leading scientist on the project.

Shadow did as he was told, holding both bars in a loose grip. Phobos stood to the side, watching the readouts of data on one of the tech's computers. As soon as Shadow touched each of the bars, information began popping up. Pulse, body temperature, and (among other things) grip strength. They were going to use it to calculate the rest of his strength, so getting the proper data was crucial. As instructed, Shadow took the bars into his hands and slowly began to squeeze. The numbers on the screen began to rise.

The bars, however strong they were, couldn't stand up to the incredible strength that Shadow exhibited. They began to creak and crumple slightly under his hands. Only after he had practically closed his fists did Dr. Vuphun let out a shout.

"Stop this instant! Can't you tell when things are starting to break?!" His voice was full of anger, like a roiling river. Shadow shrank back slightly, his face hardening. Something familiar had surfaced in his mind. Phobos inwardly grinned. It might not be working quite to the extent that he had hoped, but the boy was obviously affected. Better than nothing, he thought.

The readings were run through an algorithm, the former Stark's strength surpassing all estimated figures. As this was being recorded, Dr. Vuphun took the boy by the arm and practically dragged him across the hall to stand before a large chair-like contraption. It turned on with a mechanical whir, the parts landing around Shadow's face. His head was secured with multiple arms coated in nets of electrodes as Dr. Vuphun sat him down into the chair. The armrests opened to reveal a pair of cuffs, which quickly snapped around his wrists all the way up to his elbows. Shadow was yanked upright even as he tried to struggle.

Small electric shocks began to spark over the arms as Dr. Vuphun turned on a pair of dials on a small table in front of the machine. The amount of electricity wasn't enough to seriously hurt, but it caused his eyes to painfully dilate. The light in the room suddenly became overwhelming and Shadow fought the urge to let out a whimper.

The (slightly) mad Doctor flicked on a penlight, shining it directly into his eyes. This time Shadow let out a small wince, spots dancing in his vision after the scientist turned off the light. The sudden absence was almost as painful as when it appeared. More shocks began rippling along the machine. This time, they centered on his arms, running a current from his left arm over his shoulders to his right.

Shadow was unable to hold back a cry of pain this time. Phobos suddenly appeared to his left, face stern and eyes angry.

"What have we told you about weakness, Shadow?" He said, the words dripping in false concern.

"Tha-that i-it's n-not al-lowed he-re." Shadow replied, stuttering as his jaw clenched involuntarily as he tried to work his way through the sentence. Phobos sent over a cruel smile.

"And what did we say we would do about it?"

"Yo-you'd stamp i-it o-out." Phobos grinned and backhanded him across the face, one of his rings leaving a bloody scrape over his cheek. Dr. Vuphun appeared next to him, swabbing the wound and carrying it away on a glass slide. The scrape was visibly healing just a few seconds later.

"You've been a good boy today, Shadow. I think it's time you get to learn the really important stuff." Phobos swept an arm towards a section of the wall covered in handguns and a small selection of targets at the end of the hall. "Shut off this machine. We got what we needed, correct?" Dr. Vuphun nodded as he slowly turned down the dials.

Gradually, the sensation of arcing electricity faded away, leaving phantom aches and a constant burning. Shadow got to his feet, as unsteady as he was the day before. At Phobos' beckoning, he followed him to the wall and selected a .30 Carbine 9mm Winchester Magnum, a kind of handgun produced in the United States.

Letting instinct that he couldn't possibly have take over, Shadow sighted down the barrel of the pistol and fired his first bullet into the dead center of the target.

Later, he would look back and realize that hitting the bullseye was the best and the worst thing that he could have done that day.

Fin.

**Uhm what did you think? Please review and have a lovely day my little blossoms!**

**Signing off,  
Amaryllis**


	3. A World's New Start

**Chapter 3: A World's New Start**

**'Ello everyone! Welcome back to the Steel Shadow universe. I'm gonna try to keep a somewhat consistent updating schedule on Fridays and occasionally Saturdays. I'm updating this on a Saturday because we lost power over at my house from a tree falling on the lines or something like that. The wind and ain have been crazy these past few days. Even school was closed.**

**Uhm, also, I do not have a beta on this. I'm also not currently looking for one. I might look for one later but don't count on it. If you PM me with a prompt I might write it depending if I like it or not. If you do, don't count on it being fast because I am writing this story at the same time.**

**I wanted to tell you that I do have ideas for how knowing these things would affect Tony in the future. Things are gonna start to get exciting later. I think the current plan is to have about sixteen chapters or maybe another cycle of four. I dunno. We'll have to see. For now, please enjoy!**

June 13, 1974  
HYDRA BASE: SIBERIA

Shadow let out a small grunt as he was thrown down to the mat again, previous bruises lighting up in pain at the impact. His opponent didn't offer a hand to help him up, but that was expected. The Winter Soldier never was one to display that kind of camaraderie.

"Again. You should be able to last against the _Soldat_. You have been training for almost a year and a half. Use what you've learned. _Don't disappoint me, Shadow._" Phobos hissed from the sidelines. He had been circling like a demented vulture for the entire training session, offering small bits of instruction and criticism. Mainly criticism.

The former Stark didn't know that a year and a half for him had actually been the better part of a decade for everyone not in cyrofreeze. In order to preserve the fragile instructions in the boy's head, Phobos had ordered him wiped and put in cyro over a dozen times. He had never been out in the waking world for over a month at a time, barely even three weeks.

Shadow, of course, had no recollection of this. He believed that he'd been training constantly for a year and a half. The boy's training kinks had eventually straightened out, leaving him a blank slate ready for HYDRA's conditioning. By now his body was that of a fifteen-years-old, due to Phobos's pushing of his regular growth rate.

As always, Shadow nodded, getting to his feet and readying a fighting stance. As always, Winter made the first move. A small jab (that Shadow easily evaded), a hook punch towards his side, and a heel aimed at the back of his knee. Shadow blocked the punch and twisted to avoid the heel, spinning right into Winter's other fist. Hastily moving, he sped up some as he pivoted, slamming the side of his fist into Winter's neck. The Soldier gave a small choked gasp (more of suprise than pain) and instantly struck out at his trainee's ribs.

The blow connected and set him sprawling back on the mat, somehow rolling and managing to find himself on his feet again. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Phobos nodding ever so slightly. Spurred on by the small piece of praise, Shadow struck out with a new fever and somehow gained back some of his previous energy.

Even though his hits may have seemed sporadic and uncoordinated to the average eye, no one there was anything close to average. Shadow was using his lithe form and and uncanny flexibility to slowly but surely drain the Soldier's energy. Eventually, he managed to get a good hit in on the younger trainee to try and send him down again. But this time, Shadow had a trick up his sleeve.

Instead of landing hard on his back, Shadow hooked one arm around Winter's and pulled him forward, making use of the momentum from the previous hit. Winter stumbled forward ever so slightly, but that was all he needed.

Practically dragging Winter with him, Shadow hit the ground, already twisting to one side to avoid the mess of metal and flesh limbs that was the Soldier. He pulled himself up as quickly as he could and braced his weight against the taller man, twisting his flesh arm around to hold him in place. Winter, using the inhuman strength that his metal arm provided, lurched upwards and turned in time to deliver a kick straight to Shadow's midsection.

Shadow was actually thrown through the air this time, landing with a dull thud and sliding a little ways. Dr. Vuphun, who had entered unnoticed a little while ago, crouched by his side. He quickly checked for a concussion and pushed him back towards the ring. Shadow knew better than to respond and followed the order without question, turning to look at Phobos when he spoke,

"Slightly better. You will continue training tomorrow and the rest of today will focus on sparring with knives."

"Wear body armor. You're needed in Lab 4 after this is over and there should be no wounds," said Dr. Vuphun. He walked out the door without any further comment and disappeared around the corner in a matter of seconds.

Phobos sighed and nodded towards a set of armor hanging on the wall. Shadow plucked it off of the wall and fit the suit over his thin frame, drawing a pair of knives off of the wall as he did so.

Winter produced knives from somewhere on his person, taking a fighting stance. Shadow mirrored it and waited for the klaxon. When it rang, the two lunged at each other, blades flashing.

The next few seconds were a flurry of blocks, stabs, and slices. When the two separated, the only visible wound was a thin scratch marring on the side of Winter's face. Both were breathing faster than normal, the Adrenalin being released into their systems elevating their already enchanted senses.

Shadow lunged forwards, slashing with his left hand a stabbing with his right, aiming lower than normal. Winter pivoted to avoid the strike and leapt up, flipping directly over Shadow's slightly ducked head. The younger man was pulled around the middle, being thrown back towards the wall. Winter staggered slightly, the weight and momentum of the move throwing him off balance.

Shadow twisted in midair so that the balls of his feet hit the wall, using the force of the throw to hurl himself straight back towards his instructor. Winter let out a surprised grunt as the trainee barreled into his side, sweeping a leg under him to knock the older man to the ground.

There was another few seconds of blurred steel and harsh clanging. At the end, the two both had a knife at their neck, ending the match with a stalemate. Phobos sighed, plucked a knife off of the wall rack, and threw it between the two of them. The perfect angle knocked both of the knives out of their hands. They both turned to him, waiting for the inevitable instructions.

"_Soldat_. Report to the transport center and wait there for Handler Agalio. Shadow, take off that Kevlar and report to Lab 4. Take the equations Dr. Vuphun had you finish with you. Go." Phobos ordered, both springing into action immediately.

Winter walked out the door and turned towards the hanger, his eyes darting around, looking for his Handler.

Shadow slipped into his room/workspace, collecting multiple sheets of paper that contained complicated formulas and equations. He too walked out the door, turning right and heading straight for Lab 4. Its most common nickname among the operatives stationed here was the 'Mad Surgery Lab'.

Shadow had been in there a few times already, and had emerged with a reinforced skeleton and more flexible joints. Both had been immensely painful, but he had been put under during the healing process just to be sure that they incisions healed correctly.

Upon seeing the former Stark in the hallway, Dr. Vuphun wrapped a hand over one of his wrists and dragged him into the room. The lab was a sterile white, almost blinding Shadow's sensitive eyes before they could adjust.

In those few seconds, the doctor had sat Shadow down in a chair as he snatched the papers from his hands. His assistants quickly tied down the trainee and tilted the chair back until it was completely horizontal. Dr. Vuphun practically skipped around the room, not noticing Phobos enter as he collected supplies for the next modification.

"What will you be doing today, Doctor? Tell me that you have some clue and that it won't end in a disaster like the joint surgery nearly did." The doctor paused, eyes downcast as he winced slightly.

"The calculations that Shadow finished showed that my ideas were plausible, and the ones that he delivered today just confirmed my theory!" Dr. Vuphun spun around, grinning crazily, "And today we can do something that no one has even tried before- Recombinant DNA!"

"What?"

"Combining the DNA of two species to create the perfect hybrid. We can use the _Panthera_ genetic material to ensure that Shadow will have near perfect night vision! Just think of all of the possibilities. If we can finish this, we can improve on his hearing and speed too, and we can move on to other animals as well" Ranted the doctor, his mad side showing a bit more than was strictly necessary.

"And you are sure that this theory can be used in a not-disastrous way?" Phobos pressed. He needed the boy alive and perfectly functional.

"Of course. Can we begin now?" Dr. Vuphun was at the end of his metaphorical rope. Phobos sighed and waved a hand, stepping out to talk some other business with more high-ranking members of HYDRA.

Dr. Vuphun turned and accepted a syringe in one hand and a scalpel in the other. The edge gleamed in the bright light. Shadow's breath started to pick up ever so slightly at the doctor's insane and cynical smile.

The scalpel dipped down towards Shadow's neck, pricking him just behind his right ear. One of the assistants affixed a port directly into the tiny incision, running an IV line directly into the biggest artery in that was feeding into his brain. Shadow let out a low groan, the mix of sedatives and many other chemicals working their way into his skull.

The cocktail was meant to ensure that his immune system could accept the foreign DNA as his own. It would also make sure that he wouldn't interrupt the process with any thrashing around.

Dr. Vuphun injected the syringe into the IV bag, watching the two substances inside swirl as they mixed. Glancing down, he saw that Shadow's eyes had glazed over, which was a good sign. The boy didn't even twitch when he ran the edge of the scalpel over his forearm, collecting another sample of blood.

Doctor Vuphun smiled (which was such a terrifying sight one of his assistants began to feel faint) and motioned for the two to leave. They did so as fast as they could, not really wanting to know what would happen to that poor kid.

The doctor checked the flow of the IV and brought over the next bag's worth of fluids, to ensure that Shadow could keep up with his heavy nutritional needs while in a coma. If his calculations were correct, this would all work out fine. Of course, that's what he thought about the joint surgery…

December 20, 1974

For the next week, Shadow lay in a coma as the concoction worked its way through his system. When he did awaken, both Phobos and Dr. Vuphun were there watching him intently for any sign of anything gone wrong.

Luckily, he answered all of the doctor's queries well and was sent on his way to a completely dark room to see what changed had happened. Phobos set out targets for him to shoot lengthy distances way, beyond what anyone else would've been able to see in dim lighting.

He constantly hit the bullseye, tearing through the maze-like course of targets and obstacles. Not a single one managed to escape him or even scratch him. Phobos gave a rare smile and called over the intercom for him to find the exit. Within seconds, the two were waiting in front of the hybrid fighter, looking at Dr. V's results.

Much to their interest, his pupils had changed slightly. Instead of being a circle, they had turned into more of an upright oval, vaguely reminiscent of a panther's eyes. Dr. Vuphun shrugged and said,

"There's nothing I can do about that. He's going to have to wear contacts to avoid optical recognition anyways. It wouldn't take long to redesign then to disguise the odd pupils too." Phobos sighed (something he noticed he'd been doing a lot of lately) and waved for Shadow to go to his workspace and calculate the next few equations for the next recombinant DNA experiment. Dr. Vuphun was practically giddy with excitement.

Shadow didn't really know what to make of it. All he knew was the next morning, his world was swallowed by pain and cold. It chilled him down to the bone as his mind struggled to recall his real name and why someone else's was scrawled across his collarbone.

Fin.

**So what did you think? I hope that you follow, favorite and most of all review! I love hearing any feedback and I wish you all a good day, or night depending on where you are. Whatever time it is there, I wish you a good whatever it is.**

**Signing off,  
****Amaryllis**


	4. And A World's Ending

Chapter 4: And a World's Ending

***Waves a sad white flag* Hello my little blossoms. The world is crazy nowadays, isn't it? I'm really sorry that this chapter is pretty much a month late. Life caught up and writer's block happened. I know that nothing I can say will really matter right now, but due to the large amount of free time I have because of the whole Covid-19 pandemic, I might actually get a chapter in every week! For now, enjoy this kinda small chapter while I work on the (hopefully) better one for Saturday. Or Sunday, if the plot doesn't resolve itself by then.**

June 30, 1981 - 0700

HYDRA BASE: PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

Shadow woke with a start, adrenaline flowing through his veins. The now seventeen-year-old boy sat up in the pod where he had been put in cryofreeze a few months previous. As always, Phobos was waiting at his side, the man's expression unreadable. Standing off to the side was another figure, hidden in the shadows.

It had been only about a year for him, but he still had no idea. Due to Shadow's conditioning, he was told nothing about the current date or location. For all he knew, it could've been three hundred years in the future.

Shadow stepped out of the cryofreeze chamber and stood at attention, waiting for orders. His eyes adjusted to the light, chocolate brown reflecting a golden tint.

He'd undergone another experiment just a few months ago, getting his lungs adjusted to be more like seals. The next time he'd been unfrozen since then, his training had revolved around underwater attacks on boats and infiltration through coastal bases. The side effect of that one had been enlarged pupils, which made Phobos order Dr. Vuphun to find a solution immediately.

The doctor had produced a solution the next day, injecting something which made Shadow's eyes sting and be temporarily blinded for a few minutes. When he could see again, his pupils had shrunk considerably but were still slightly larger than normal. You couldn't see it if you weren't close though, so Phobos let it be.

After that he'd been wiped and set aside for a time again. A month later he was unfrozen and combined with the DNA of an anaconda, which was intended to give him an even more flexible fighting style. This was the only one that had had no other effect than the intended one.

This new flexibility combined with the previous joint surgery meant that he was more flexible than then average gymnast, and on par with the most advanced contortionists.

This time Shadow hadn't been ushered straight into the labs or to his quarters to work out equations. Something was different.

For one thing, the Soldier hadn't appeared. And for another, Phobos was waiting with a different man than usual. Dr. Vuphun was nowhere to be seen. Shadow looked around in a slight panic. The last time this had happened… he couldn't remember anything but constant pain and electric flickers over his skull.

Shadow barely registered the feel of hands pulling him forward or being sat down in a chair. He started slightly when a rubber mouth guard was stuffed into his mouth.

Glancing around, he noticed the familiar man in front of him just as mechanical cuffs clamped themselves around his arms and pads were lowered to cover parts of his face. For a split second, everything was still.

Then Shadow's world exploded.

The rushing wave of electricity enveloped his brain, sending his neurons into a cascade of signals. The people standing around him flinched ever so slightly upon hearing his guttural screams of pain and loss.

When the pads were lifted from his face and the cuffs retracted, Shadow could barely move. The boy was almost shaking, his eyes unfocused and breathing harsh and irregular.

Phobos pulled out a Red book with a Gold star on the front. The man opened it to the bookmarked page, pulling on a gold ribbon. He cleared his throat slightly and read off,

"_Золото, провод, пламя, кузнечный горн, воздушная струя, разрушать, борзый, расстояние полета, механизм, неизвестный_." Shadow's lean frame shook with his heaving breaths as the words were read out.

After the first one, blinding pain seared through his mind, stuffing away the small, tattered remains of the boy that had been taken captive all those years ago.

By the third, years of painful training and operations flickered through his mind, frustratingly close but yet so far.

Shadow's mind filled with panic as he tried to hold on to that one happy memory that he could see clearly. A woman's voice, singing softly in a language he vaguely recognized as Italian. But by the sixth word, it too had melted away into the roaring tide of anguish.

By the time that the eighth word passes Phobos's lips, HYDRA's programming had taken over everything but the small part of his mind that remembered the small number of days that he and the Soldier had shared after both of their programming had worn off slightly. Small touches and lingering glances were shared before they both were pulled out of their minds again.

At the ninth word, the boy tried to break free, screaming out a single sentence into the blankness that once used to be his mind. He curled up in despair as his last remnants disappeared into the deepest part of Shadow's subconscious.

And when the last word faded into the air, so did the boy's heartbreaking shout of, "Our name was _Tony_!"

That voice was wrong. He was Shadow, one of the Fists of HYDRA. He had a mission and he would complete it. But that boy in his head wasn't anything that HYDRA had supplied him. So what had gone wrong?

"Shadow?" Phobos closed the book and slipped it into an inside pocket of his long coat, studying the young man's face intently. His eyes refocused and he sat up straighter.

Shadow let the conditioned reply flit through his mind before letting go of the last vestiges of his humanity when he answered, "Ready to comply."

The new man stepped forward and held out a thin file, a picture peeking out from the edge. Shadow opened the file and studied the photo of a man with a Central American complexion and a white suit. He had a bright smile and was raising a hand as if greeting someone. The name stamped below on a chart of personal details was _Omar Torrijos_.

The man was the leader of a group that had staged a _coup d'état _and taken over a small (but vital) nation in Central America named Panama.

"Do you understand your mission?" The rough gravel of a voice from the new man showed no emotion whatsoever, only a slight bit of impatience.

"Shadow, you are to take out this man and leave no trace that could be traced back to us. This is the second attack, and as such it must be completed with the utmost attention to detail." Phobos didn't seem to like the other man very much, but tolerated him for the present time.

"Prepare yourself and meet me outside in the hangar. We depart at 0730." The man, a supervisor code named Tarot, spun on his heel and walked out of the room.

Phobos hadn't aged very well in the eighteen years since the project began. The gray streaks in his hair had turned silver and wrinkles were set deep into his face.

He waved a hand towards a door towards the end of the hall. Shadow left without a word, walking down the hall and slipping into the combat suit he'd designed a few… whenever he was last unfrozen.

Pushing aside the fractured remains of his memories (that caused a bolt of pain to sear through whatever was left of his mind) Shadow checked the knives and guns that HYDRA had supplied for the mission.

He strapped on the face mask and fitted goggles, waiting for a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the dramatically different lighting. The interface within the slightly blue-tinted goggles hummed to life, flicking around the room as it received information from HYDRA's servers.

Not even five minutes later, Shadow was out the door and heading towards the base's hangar. It was filled with the most advanced aircraft that HYDRA could make, buy, or steal.

Tarot was waiting by a AH-6/MH-6 Little Bird (a light attack, observation, and transport helicopter) with another HYDRA agent who looked almost bored. That was, until she noticed Shadow approaching. Then she snapped to attention so fast that it was very possible that she could have broken her neck from the whiplash.

Tarot stepped inside the helicopter without any fanfare, Shadow entering behind him. The helicopter whirred to life and lifted off into the fresh Central American air.

The blades sliced through the air upwards above the cloud cover that could hide them from prying eyes. Shadow sat down in the open back and readied the rifle that Tarot had handed him. Just by the weight, he could tell it was loaded with small poison needles that would incapacitate the victim within seconds.

He turned to Tarot, a question almost forming. He bit it back before the supervisor could notice as it dawned on him that they wanted to cause chaos and not a manhunt.

They sat in silence for a few minutes as the Little Bird climbed higher and higher. Tarot and the other agent strapped on oxygen masks. Shadow reached up and activated a filter in his face mask.

Once they reached the preset altitude, Shadow stood. He walked out to the edge of the helicopter and stepped down onto the ridge on the outside of the vehicle, situating himself so that any changes in the wind wouldn't upset his position.

In the back of his mind, he registered the other agent unhooking her oxygen tank from the wall and repeating his actions on the other side so the Little Bird wouldn't flip over.

Tarot climbed over into the back and scanned the horizon for Torrijos's plane. Shadow saw it before he did, with his panther-like eyesight.

Through a gap in the clouds Shadow could see his target. Torrijos was sitting in the back, talking to a small group of people. Two pilots sat in the front, keeping an eye on the terrain before them.

But the one place they weren't looking was the sky above them. Shadow took careful aim, calculating the trajectory of the dart from where he was to the moving plane below.

Tarot hissed, "What are you waiting for?! Fire!"

Shadow adjusted his aim and hooked a finger around the trigger. With a small click, the dart was fired. It buried itself in the neck of one of the pilots.

In less than two seconds, Shadow aimed at the othe pilot and repeated the action. The plane, with no one at its controls, began to plummet.

Torrijos and the people in the back scrambled to their feet and one raced towards the pilots at the nose of the plane. Their panicked yells carried over the wind to the Little Bird and the orchestrators of their demise. Tarot leaned forward, watching what he could see through the clouds with a fierce intensity.

Shadow saw one of the others dressed in a finely tailored blue-gray suit reach for a parachute strapped on the side of the aircraft. Tarot murmured low in his ear,

"Take him out. Actually, take them all out. We can't risk anyone escaping." Reacting instantaneously to the order, Shadow clicked off the safety and shot each of the men as the helicopter headed downward to give him a better shot. The darts sank into their necks and, one by one, they all sank to the floor.

The plane hit the mountainside and burst into flame. Letting out a small curse, Tarot made a series of motions at the pilots and they drove the Little Bird down towards the wreck.

Tarot tossed a small canister out the window and it exploded over the site, making the flames die out significantly. He waved a hand at the pilots and they brought the helicopter up again as Shadow and the unnamed female agent clambered back inside.

One the way back to the base, Shadow's mind was filled with the looks of terror in the eyes of those men. He couldn't stop thinking about their screams as they plummeted down onto the mountainside.

Tarot glanced over, disengaging his oxygen mask as they reached the airspace around the base. He grabbed Shadow's chin, forcing him to look over at him as Tarot pulled off his goggles.

Whatever he saw, he didn't like.

As soon as the Little Bird landed, he'd dragged Shadow off into the base and directly to the chamber where he had first awoken. Tearing off his face mask, the supervisor watched as the young man's eyes unfocused and his gaze slipped off to the side.

Red seemed to cover Tarot's vision as he backhanded Shadow across the face. Phobos, who had conveniently entered just then, strode past the enraged supervisor and pulled Shadow down into the metal chair that he'd been in not three hours ago.

Phobos pulled Tarot aside and the two had a quick, harsh conversation in low, angry tones. In the end, Tarot snarled, walking out of the room in a huff. Phobos turned to Shadow, who hadn't moved an inch on his own since the Little Bird had landed.

"What the _Hell_ happened out there?" Phobos hissed. Shadow sat up straight and relayed the entire mission report. His handler's eyes narrowed upon hearing the slight waver in the young man's voice. "I think it's time that we revisit your training, Shadow. What are you?"

"A Fist of HYDRA."

"Who are you?"

"I am the Subject of the Steel Shadow project."

"Why did you kill those men?"

Shadow gave the slightest shudder before answering, "HYDRA commanded it, and so it will be done."

Phobos narrowed his eyes but simply shoved a rubber bit into Shadow's mouth. The young man sat back in the chair as restraints clicked into place and the pads were lowered onto his face.

Shadow's last thought was of the voice he'd heard so long ago. The only one to treat him with kindness, singing that sweet lullaby. But hard as he tried, he still couldn't remember her face. Or her name. Or his real one.

Fin.

**Alright everyone! Three pieces of advice for this pandemic situation: **

**1: Practice social distancing and wash your hands. I know that's really commonly known, but it can't really hurt to hear it again.**

**2: Be productive with your time. I'm working on some art pieces in addition to writing. You aren't gonna get this much free time for a while.**

**3: Get a healthy amount of sleep. I'm a hypocrite for saying that, I know, but sleep is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick. Plus, you feel rejuvenated in the mornings, which never happens on a school day. **

**That's all for now! I hope you liked the chapter and, as always, favorite follow and (most of all) review! I appreciate all of your feedback and knowing that I have people counting on me always helps my writing. Until next time my little blossoms!**

**Signing off,**

**Amaryllis**


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